Retail store employees have been asked to watch
for persons buying frequent or large quantities of common household
chemicals, diet supplements, cold medications and various solvents
used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
According to the Southeast Tennessee Methamphetamine
Task Force based in Chattanooga and the 1st Judicial District
Drug Task Force which helps make up the state task force, the
clandestine manufacture of this highly addictive drug has reached
epidemic proportions and is eating away at communities from
southeast to northeast Tennessee.
The increase in meth labs has been accompanied
by a related rise in crimes such as burglary, auto theft, domestic
violence and assault. The number of methamphetamine violators
carrying firearms, resisting arrest and attempting to flee from
officers also has risen, according to the Southeast task force.
Large purchases of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine,
acetone, rubbing alcohol, engine starter, drain cleaner, coffee
filters, iodine, lithium batteries, propane tanks, lye, matches,
dishes and muriatic acid could be an indication of methamphetamine
manufacturing.
"Most of it's legal stuff. It's not against the
law to go in and buy pseudoephedrine," said Kenneth Phillips,
director of the 1st DTF. "But it does arouse suspicions when
they buy too much."
Phillips said purchases of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine
are supposed to be limited to two packs at a time under federal
law. Unfortunately, many manufacturers get around the limit
by shopping store to store.
1st DTF has broken up around 15 meth labs in just
a little over a year in Carter, Johnson, Washington and Unicoi
counties, according to Phillips. "The first ones we saw were
in Washington County; then we started seeing them in Carter,
and the last ones we've been getting, the biggest ones of them
have been in Johnson County," he said.
One was found about a month ago in Washington County
and two recently in Johnson County.
One thing Phillips advised retail stores to watch
for is persons buying large amounts of matches. "They actually
don't use the match itself. They use the striker off of the
match cover. It contains red phosphorous."
Manufacturers also use gas line antifreeze such
as HEET to obtain ether. Coleman fuel is another favorite. "If
somebody comes and buys a lot of Coleman fuel in the summer,
they're either camping a lot or they're cooking meth," Phillips
said.
Anhydrous ammonia, another product used in the
making of meth, generally is purchased through a farm supply
store. It's also more difficult to obtain, according to Phillips.
"Usually what they do is steal it."
Anhydrous ammonia is of utmost concern of agents
when they hit a lab "because if they're actually cooking, you
do have a chance of a fire, explosion or dangerous gases," he
said. "It will burn your skin and burn your lungs."
Two men died recently during a meth lab explosion
at a mobile home in rural Hawkins County and a third was hospitalized
in critical condition after being overcome by toxic fumes.
If a meth lab is discovered inside a mobile home,
or a rolling lab found inside a van, the entire home or vehicle
are considered contaminated. Phillips said the 1st DTF calls
in Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement
Administration to assist in the investigation when a meth lab
is found.
"One reason we call in DEA is because if we call
them in, they're federal authorities and the federal government
gets involved, then they'll pay for the cleanup. If not, we
have to pay for it. The average cleanup is like $7,500. The
company that's used around this area is HEPACO out of Piney
Flats," Phillips said.
The Southeast task force has asked merchants to
review their sales of potential meth products and "determine
if these products are necessary for the continued operation
and profitability of your business." Retail store personnel
are asked to report all suspicious purchases of pseudoephedrine
and other necessary chemicals to local law enforcement officials
and to post signs inside their businesses that alert customers
that suspicious purchases of the substances and suspicious behavior
will be reported.
Store owners also are cautioned against the consequences
associated with knowing involvement in methamphetamine manufacturing
activity.
In July 2001, Harry Javaherpour, a Coffee County
store owner, was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture meth
and two counts of distributing pseudoephedrine after evidence
showed that he had sold large quantities of the product while
knowing that it would be used to manufacture meth. The store
owner also sold other items used in the process, including matches
and gas line anti-freeze. He was sentenced to 151 months in
federal prison followed by three years' supervised release.
He also forfeited $204,494 in proceeds from the sale of his
business, which was seized.
The Southeast task force was responsible for seizing
154 meth laboratories in 2000; 352 laboratories in 2001, and
approximately 178 laboratories to date in 2002, along with 140
weapons. A total of 517 persons were charged by either federal
or state authorities for illegally manufacturing or distributing
meth from January 2001 through February 2002.